A Message From Our President

Due to the growing housing demand for families and individuals without homes, Families in Transition (FIT) has grown exponentially over the last 25+ years. Throughout my first year with FIT, I worked with five women and their children at our first location in Manchester, NH. Now, we own over 21 properties throughout Manchester, Concord, and Dover, NH. In 2016, we provided a home to over 230 families and individuals each night. Nonetheless, we receive thousands of referrals annually from struggling families and individuals requesting housing and services. There is still a desperate need to provide support for families who are homeless.

During our Family Place Resource Center and Shelter’s first year of operation, in 2016, the 11 bedroom emergency shelter housed 70 families and a total of 224 people. Families staying in the shelter portion of the building on the second floor also received three meals a day and access to healthy snacks, thanks in part to our partnership with New Horizons for New Hampshire soup kitchen and food pantry. Additional partnerships that provide key services in the resource center on the first floor include; 1) Goodwill Job Connections, 2) Southern New Hampshire Services Head Start, 3) Catholic Medical Center’s Healthcare for the Homeless, and many more. The resource center, with the exception of the dining hall, is available to all individuals seeking services in order to regain financial stability and well-being. Learn more about our Family Place Resource Center and Shelter here.

In New Hampshire, we have seen a sharp rise in opioid use and substance use related deaths. Our Family Willows Substance Use Treatment Center is relocating and expanding to be a part of the Manchester Recovery and Treatment Center on Wilson Street in Manchester, NH. This four-story center is a collaborative effort between Families in Transition, Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, and The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester. Here, people will be able to access many different programs and services to help them in their recovery and treatment process. The expansion means that our Intensive Outpatient Program will be doubling in size to offer services to more than 400 women a year. This move also allows us to open our first recovery housing units, both for mothers and their children and single women. To find out more about our move and expansion click here.